The results are in: New Student Government leaders elected

This past Tuesday, April 3, Student Government announced the new president and vice president for the 2018-2019 school year. James Meslener, junior management major, will take over as president alongside Naomi Nogowski, junior sports management major, who will take over as vice president.

Meslener and Nogowski’s campaign focused on three main aspects for improvement on campus; including safety on campus, academics regarding first year experience and diversity. Meslener also said it’s important to reach more students and organizations on campus.

“Developing a relationship and reaching everyone on campus is important to us,” Meslener said. “There’s a lot of voices that aren’t being heard on campus and I really want to make it possible to hear them and involve them.”

The three focal points of Meslener and Nogowski are what they consider to be pressing issues on campus and on a national level as well.

“We really want to bring people together and work on uniting UT students,” Nogowski said.

For Nogowski, having a focus on diversity is an opportunity to use what she’s gained from traveling and spending a Semester at Sea learning from different cultures.

“I was open-minded before my Semester at Sea, but I didn’t realize how different cultures can be,” Nogowski said. “We are all here and have a passion to get the best experience, that’s my driving force for taking on this role.”

Current Student Government vice president, Troy Schneider, said this year’s administration will be passing on guidebooks for each new officer who will take office. He said in years past, administrations have not passed on guidebooks or have been able to provide assistance to new officers who take over.

“Aislinn [Sroczynski] and myself wish the new administration much luck going forward and hope they accomplish all that they can,” Schneider said. “James [Meslener] will do a great job as the new president and his hard work in [Student Government] this past year will help him go far in all his endeavors on his next journey as SG president.”

Sroczynski, current Student Government president agreed with Schneider and added she was excited to aid in the transition process for the new officers.

“I know both James [Meslener] and Naomi [Schneider] well, and know they are both hardworking individuals,” Sroczynski said. “I think they will do a great job next year.”

Meslener said Sroczynski and Schneider have offered an example of what strong and driven leaders look like. He’s ready to take the progress they’ve made and run with it next year, bringing together the campus in new ways.

“I see these problems and to have an opportunity like this to make a difference and leave a legacy for students to come, why wouldn’t I take advantage of it?” said Meslener.

Katelyn Massarelli can be reached at katelyn.massarelli@theminaretonline.com